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Thanks, I think Taddies sixth sense could feel the support and she didn't disappoint. I think the number is 1616km. We did about 1840 in the last 27hrs and only 200 ml of oil. it wasn't a straight forward run, goes with out saying , but not for the usual reasons.... Have to go to work now so will fill you in later

Taddy gets dragged by an impatient road train damaging the top ring and everyone gets an oil bath…

After a mighty battle the little Tike concedes defeat at 1390km eclipsing her previous PB of 1020km.

Taddy’s spirits where down after yet another failure to complete the 1610km in 24hrs so I organized a ride home in a horse float to shield her from the prying lenses of the paparazzi…. Then it was guts out on the work bench.

I set about thinking how to get some pressure off the top ring… then it dawned on me, simple,

Get the highest compression Hight piston I could (plus 3mm),

Make a 2mm decompression plate for under the pot,

Get a ct110 cam chain, shorten it by 4 links,

Dial the cam in the original configuration, then slot the cam / camwheel holes,

All this work to move the top ring 1.1mm down the pot away from the big bang.

why didn’t I think of it before?

Now for a test. I planned a 80km round trip with head winds of about 15km/hr one way and some hills, didn’t have much say with the hills around here. The results were encouraging.

Now just had to wait for the good weather, during said wait several days looked good but then fizzled out not to mention major flooding that removed roads from the route pushing the ride day closer to the sub 10 deg C nights that would challenge my stamina.

Its always the down time, that gets me. So, to help I decided to strip taddies engine and check the valve seats, something I hadn’t done after try 5. the seats looked fine but I did find a little oil on the back of the exhaust valve, so nothing for it but lap the valves and fit new valve guide seals.

3 hours later all back together.

After watching for weeks, pulling things apart, putting them back together, A day finally popped up on the Met eye horizon. Tues 28th March. Temperatures were tolerable and most importantly the winds favourable.

As the day drew near the forecast changed a bit with the winds coming up to about 40% head and the rest tail or side. The strength was still less than 20km/hr at 10m. since 70% of the route was in open country with no heavy woody road sides to break the wind I was of two minds whether to go or not. After a few minutes of thought I decided to change the final drive ratio from 2.8:1 to 2.86:1. This would bring the top speed down about 2km/hr but would help Taddy hold in on the hills and head winds. I would have to closely monitor the road speed as an over rev on the big hills between Ravensthorpe and Esperance would be one of the easiest achievements of the whole ride.

20:00 hrs Monday night I did some departure time alterations in Base Camp to align the wind and route direction changes. No going back now… clean the visor charge the sena and phone, hit the sack.

Eyes open at 01:30hrs… took a few minutes to remember why I was up so early… that’s right Masochism.

Summer gloves, new heat gloves and old heated gloves (new heated gloves not broken in yet).

Boots, 3lt camelbak.

Now breakfast… cup of milk and a black coffee. Only Drank half the coffee as I was starting to overheat with 5 layers on, had to get some air flow.

Strolled out to Taddy, kicked her in the guts and we were off. The 5km ride to the start weigh point bought the body temp back to a comfortable level. Amazing what an open jacket can do.

Getting a docket at the Bendigo bank I headed off, resetting all the gps logging fields as we went.

The first hundred kms are always a little tense as I listen for noises and feel for vibrations. I got through Northam and then that sudden shot of adrenalin… I hadn’t turn the spot tracker on… easy fixed. Now to settle in. as we headed south of Brookton things started cool to the point of uncontrollable leg shivers… Little taddy didn’t have the electrical output to run the heated gear, I had only put it on cause I remember when I was a little tacker my dear old mum used to say that it was the thought that counts. The auxiliary alternator was only to be used if the situation became a deal breaker.

The first fuel was at Cranbrook 382km, as usual the southerly heading had a head wind so we only managed a 75km/h OA and 24.km/lt.

Heading North again to Katanning we had the tail wind and as usual I got lost in Katanning, must remember to turn the zoom up on the gps in towns so I don’t ride past intersections.

Heading East with the wind coming round to WSW we were zooming on to Lake Grace, Lake King and Ravensthorpe.

Just west of Lake Grace we stopped to check oil and make an adjustment to the needle jet needle. Since I had changed the final drive ratio and had a tail wind Taddy was running in the high Eighties and around 14:1 A/F a scenario I didn’t think I would see. I scoffed a tin of tuna and we headed on. Moving the needle up one graduation brought the A/F down to around 13:1 and dropped the head temp 5-10 deg on the hills.

Well-Known Member

You're crazy Frog . . . but in a real good way. Really enjoyed the report and congratulations on a fantastic achievement. I think taddy should finish up in a motorcycle museum somewhere when you are done torturing it haha

The day temp was getting over 25deg and I was contemplating sheading some layers, my consumption of water was rising and I didn’t want to waste the time refilling the camel bac so I pulled over opened my jacket and fitted the summer gloves… now to settle in again. Heading south from Lake king we had a cross wind which had no noticeable effect on the speed.

Arriving at Ravensthorpe, half way, we were still running a 75Km/hr OA and 79km/hr Moving Average, it was time for some oil and fuel before heading into the hills with a tail wind.

As part of my due diligence I checked that all roads were open… and they were.

Just not continuously… a 28min wait. Once I realised that we were there for the whole process, emulsion to roller I moved off the road put the stand down and tried to sleep… didn’t work I was starting to heat up again. Soon enough we were moving again, doing some calculations I realised that time would be tight as the route was 1680ish km to hit Tammin (24hr) 2-3 am. the extra 70km was an hour, the half hour lolly pop time and stops to now all added to 2hrs, add two more fuel stops and a scheduled sleep, I’m thinking 23 hrs without any surprises a doddle.

Well after 24km of being the frog in a long game of Leap frog we came to a big yellow detour sign and now had 7km of corrugated dirt and still playing leap frog we got lost in the dust and had to slow down and pull off in to the table drain at walking pace to let the last of the road trains around us. After an eternity, we were on bitumen, trying to blink the dust from my one functioning eye and spit the crunchies from my mouth I had an epiphany… flip your helmet before you cough splutter and sneeze.

Now I had a new problem, time lost and distance added in the detour. My new calculations kept coming up with “plan the ride, ride the plan”. Not very helpful but my noodle was getting soggy. I guessed it couldn’t have added to much more than 20min on the outside… We still had the ability to absorb that loss.

My attention turned to Taddy, slaving away without a whimper. What had the dust and pot holes done to her, there were at least two bottom outs before we conceded, down into the drain.

Nothing for it but hold the average. With ever thing settling down again we approached the Dailyup -Gibbson road that would have us head north and regain the tail winds to Coolgardie, we were all smiles until we found a grader and smooth drum working to remove the tree root speed humps that caused me grief last time round. Oh well on to Esperance.

The sun was getting lower in the sky and the cool sea breeze was in, thing were looking ok again till I realized Tammin was now to far, I couldn’t see the GPS screen the low angle of the sun so I decided to phone a friend, Wart swung into action to find all ATMs, servo’s, clubs, pub’s between southern cross and Tammin that could produce a finish docket. Total of three ☹, ok cut up through Kalgoorlie pick up more Km’s? No, that 200km gap between Coolgardie and Southern cross was a problem. The only real option was Merredin, a risk at 1616km, if the GPS didn’t show 1610 I would not have enough time to go on to Kellerberrin or back to southern cross for a docket.

Fuelling at Norseman Caltex to save time (not as far from bowser to counter as the Bp) I tried to grab a kip on the bench under a tree but there were to many numbers making crunching sounds in my head.

Off we go, got 5km north onto the lake Cowan causeway flicked the leds lamps on but nothing happened… Taddy said “You’re the sparky fix it, I’m not stopping” after pointing out that that tone wasn’t helping and being told “what tone” we hit a bump and they came on . What a team. Stopping just south of the Kambalda turn off I sprawled out on the ground and had ten minutes. Heading east from Coolgardie, the last fuel stop, with a 7 O’clock wind we powered on stopping only to check oil. Arriving in Merredin at 02:18 all we needed was a docket, I propped Taddy up on the centre stand and headed for the door…locked, "Push the buzzer" Taddy said, that I did but to no avail. Peering through the window I could see the bloke hanging off a vacuum cleaner. "Pick up the nozzle" Taddy said, that I did, that got his attention, only the pump wouldn’t authorise. A voice came over the speaker “ I will have to ring tech support”, I went to the door, he let me in so I ordered a burger. 02:25hrs .

From here it was a leisurely 200km ride home with a couple of kips on the way.

Administrator

Great write up Frog!! Fatigue management advice, "I had only put it on cause I remember when I was a little tacker my dear old mum used to say that it was the thought that counts." it all helps. Amending the plan on the run, top ticks in the box for this run I hope the humour you put in the report was on the ride with you. Look forward to catching up at the Renmark Muster.